# Blanco Riad An 18th-century courtyard house in Tetouan's medina, once the Spanish consulate and later the pasha's residence, restored as an eight-room riad with a Moroccan restaurant open to the public. For couples and curious travellers who want to sleep in the listed medina and eat well. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/hotels/blanco-riad/ ## A house that has seen it all Blanco Riad occupies an 18th-century house built around a courtyard: columns, pillars and arches carry the gallery onto which the rooms open. The house has had several lives. In 1860 it housed the Spanish consulate; during the Spanish protectorate it became the residence of the pasha, the city's governor. A Tetouan family, the Ben Hassains, lived there next. At the time all the rooms connected with one another, and the garden had a large fountain. Later the house became a wedding hall: according to the hotel, few people in Tetouan have never been invited there. Its current owner, Maribel, came across it by chance on a family trip, half in ruins. A few months later she left her job to take it on. The restoration took a year, led by the architect Rafa Jiménez Atienza: the structure was kept, the mosaics, plasterwork, doors and grilles were restored, and modern comfort was added. ## Eight rooms, eight women's names During the works, the owner looked for women from the Arab world to name the eight rooms, which fall into five categories: - **Aicha**, the grand suite, the main room of the house; - **Shéhérazade**, **Fatima** and **Meriem**, the three senior suites; - **Balkis**, the Queen of Sheba; **Leila**, the heroine of the poet Nizami, whom the house likens to Shakespeare's Juliet; **Subh**, "dawn", a learned woman of the court of Córdoba; **Moraira**, whose tears, legend says, formed the Mediterranean beach of the same name. All have a bathroom, air conditioning and heating, useful in winter in a medina house. One guest, in a review quoted by the hotel, advises paying a little more for a suite; that is our advice too. ## A restaurant open to the city The restaurant is the second reason to come. It serves traditional Moroccan cooking with modern techniques and local produce: aubergine cannelloni filled with seafood on an olive and honey paste, kid tagine with caramelised figs, fish and seafood pastilla. Friday is couscous day. The menu includes gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes. It seats 80 between the dining room and the terrace, which look onto both the garden and the courtyard. The restaurant is open to the public, with reservations: breakfast from 8:00 to 11:00, café from 8:00 to 23:00, restaurant from 13:00 to 23:00, local time. For guests it is convenient: some travellers find the choice of restaurants in town limited, and here you can dine without going out again at night. ## In Sira's footsteps The house offers two packages of three days and two nights for two people. The first follows the places frequented by Sira, the heroine of María Dueñas's novel *The Time in Between*, set partly in Tetouan during the protectorate, with a guided tour of the medina: €195. The second explores the classic cooking of northern Morocco over two lunches and two dinners in the restaurant, with recipes to take home: €280. The hotel also arranges walks through the medina and souks, excursions to Chefchaouen, Asilah and Tangier, a massage, a henna tattoo or a hammam session. Staff speak Arabic, Spanish, French and English, and reception is open 24 hours a day. ## Sabaro's view **Who it suits**: couples and curious travellers who want to stay in Tetouan's medina, in a house with a history, with a good restaurant on site. **Strengths**: a carefully restored 18th-century house; a restaurant open to the public, with inventive Moroccan cooking; only eight rooms; a 4.6/5 rating from over 360 Tripadvisor reviews. **Good to know**: no alcohol is served; the restaurant, open to the public, can be busy and some guests report noise; the stairs are steep; car access is difficult and there is no parking. **Our advice**: book a suite, and arrange a transfer through the hotel, since cars struggle to reach the house. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does the hotel serve alcohol? No, no alcohol is served on the property. ### Does the hotel offer transfers from Tangier airport? Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes away (70 km); the hotel offers a paid transfer, priced per vehicle and per trip. ### Can you get to the beach? Yes, the hotel runs a paid shuttle to the sandy beach. ### Can you eat at the restaurant without staying at the hotel? Yes, the restaurant is open to the public from 13:00 to 23:00 and takes reservations. Groups of up to 100 can be hosted on request.